An hour later, the two finally stumbled through reciting everything they had written earlier.
Douglas picked up the record made by the dictation quill. Not bad-the error rate was under 20%.
Achieving this much in just six or seven hours was already quite good.
He checked the time, then transformed two chairs in the office into a bed.
He told George and Fred not to return to the Gryffindor Common Room that night.
That would save him having to escort them.
After all, letting these two princes of nighttime wandering roam Hogwarts Castle on their own at three in the morning...
If they got caught, these two would definitely say the Defense Against Dark Magic professor had made them walk around the castle so late.
Douglas's body clock had long been set.
Although it was Saturday.
He got up an hour later than usual.
When he emerged from his bedroom, he found the Weasley Twins sporting dark circles under their eyes, looking as though they had not slept all night.
Douglas could not help feeling surprised. Had these two turned over a new leaf?
Had they actually learned to stay up studying?
When he saw the books in their hands.
His lips twitched.
When George and Fred saw Douglas come out.
"Good morning, Professor!"
"Professor, good morning!"
Then they both waved the books in their hands and asked:
"Professor, could we borrow these two sets of books?"
Afraid Douglas would refuse, George hurried to steal another glance or two.
"Professor, why do the books in your collection seem to have different contents from Percy's set, even though the titles are the same?
"But they're all by the same author.
"And the contents are even better than his."
Fred said with a mischievous grin, "We reckon someone gave Percy pirated copies?"
Then both wailed in unison, "Poor Percy!"
Douglas yawned and explained casually:
"These sets come in two versions: a Muggle version and a wizarding version.
"I gave Percy his wizarding version. It's certainly not pirated!"
Their eyes instantly lit up. "Professor, could we-!"
Douglas waved a hand, and the books flew straight out of their hands and back onto the shelves.
"No!
"When you get an O in Defense Against Dark Magic, I'll give you a set!
"Now hurry back to your house."
Unwilling to give up, Fred asked, "A set each!"
Douglas sneered, knowing what these two were scheming.
"Ask again, and I'll give the books to Percy. If you want to read them, you can borrow them from him!"
Frightened, the Weasley Twins offered repeated placating smiles and swiftly left the Defense Against Dark Magic office.
After they left, Douglas kept feeling there was something he had forgotten to do.
After looking around, he suddenly slapped his forehead.
"The Marauder's Map!"
Douglas deeply regretted it. With the twins chattering away as they recited their material last night.
He had forgotten his original plan to watch the Marauder's Map for a while every night.
The main issue was that he still did not know whether Lucius Malfoy had brought the diary into Hogwarts.
If he really had brought it in, Douglas had to find a way to stop him at the most crucial moment.
And notify Headmaster Dumbledore promptly.
It seemed he would have to make this a priority from now on.
After getting ready, he ran several laps around the castle lawns as usual.
Then he practiced his Crane Form Fist.
What was unusual today was that he actually saw Hagrid coming toward him, yawning, so early in the morning.
As soon as he approached, Hagrid spoke in a plaintive tone utterly at odds with his size:
"Good morning, Douglas!
"It's been a week, and you haven't come to see me once!"
Douglas replied even more helplessly:
"Good morning, Hagrid!
"You know I've got seven lessons a day. I'm really too busy.
"I was planning to visit you this weekend.
"And take a look at the orchard and vegetable garden I originally cleared."
At the mention of the vegetable garden, Hagrid excitedly clapped his large hand on Douglas's shoulder twice.
Douglas had to grit his teeth against the pain.
"Ha! That's exactly why I came to find you.
"Are you free this afternoon?
"I've just finished making this year's potato noodles. I'm planning to slaughter a pig at noon.
"Come over this afternoon, and we'll have pork stew with glass noodles."
At the mention of pork stew with glass noodles, Douglas involuntarily swallowed.
Douglas had been the one to teach Hagrid how to make potato noodles. In the vegetable garden behind Hagrid's place.
A separate patch had even been cleared specifically for growing potatoes, and those potatoes were used exclusively for making potato noodles.
Douglas promptly nodded:
"I'm free, I'm free.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely come over early this afternoon."
Hagrid yawned.
"Good. I've invited a few young wizards too, so we can all eat together.
"Yawn... I'll head back for a bit more sleep. The centaurs in the Forbidden Forest made quite a commotion last night, and I went to deal with it myself.
"You know Professor Dumbledore and the centaurs all trust me.
"I'll head back, then.
"You're so full of energy, getting up this early every morning to do those strange poses!"
Muttering, Hagrid turned and left.
At Hagrid's words, Douglas looked around at the castle.
Looking at the quiet castle in the early morning.
He could not help smacking his lips.
"The morning is the best part of the day.
"Such a lovely morning, and all these people are sleeping.
"It doesn't feel like a school at all! Tsk, tsk!"
After staying up all night, the Weasley brothers returned to their dormitory and had barely been asleep for long.
When Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, shook them awake.
George asked groggily:
"Wh... what is it?"
Fred squinted and glanced out the window.
A thin veil of mist hung across the pink and pale gold sky.
Clearly, dawn had only just broken.
Fred snatched back his blanket and roared in complaint:
"Oliver! It's... it's barely dawn!"
George let out a miserable cry too:
"Good heavens! Oliver, have you no humanity?
"It's the weekend! The weekend!"
With that, he pulled the blanket over his head, ready to go back to sleep.
Wood pulled their blankets away again and said urgently:
"Quidditch practice. Get up! I said... get up!
"This is part of our new training program.
"Hurry up, grab your broomsticks, and come with me.
"We'll get a head start this year, before any of the other teams begin training..."
George shook his head and said through a yawn:
"Oliver, if I remember correctly.
"It isn't just our fourth-year Practical Lesson Classroom that's open this morning.
"The sixth-year Practical Lesson Classroom is open too, isn't it?
"Are you sure you want to practice Quidditch instead of continuing your practical exam?"
Fred added in a muffled voice:
"Oliver, I heard you didn't subdue a single Inferi yesterday..."
Oliver Wood said unhappily:
"It's precisely while everyone else is rushing off to the Practical Lesson Classrooms that we have a chance to overtake them.
"It's fine. We'll go tomorrow morning.
"Come on, lads! Stop hesitating. Hurry! Meet me on the pitch in fifteen minutes.
"I still have to wake the others!"
With that, Wood hurried away.
Lee Jordan, awakened by the commotion, said helplessly:
"You know Wood's always wanted to win the House Cup before he graduates.
"He nearly managed it last year, but unfortunately Harry Potter ended up in the hospital at the crucial final moment.
"Give it your best!
"Try to win it this year, or Wood will be even crazier next year!
"Don't worry! I'll get the sleep you've missed on your behalf.
"No need to thank me too much!
"Ha ha!"
The twins: 凸(゜皿゜メ)
Before you continue